I have always been obsessed with asking what happens next or what is still ahead instead of simply embracing what is in the present. Ever since I heard about Beer Blogging Fridays, I have been toying with the idea of hosting a Session to paint a collective picture of what the future related to beer will be like.

This month, Beer Means Business has the honour to host The Session and to make this happen. The final picture of Beer Future will be based on what you think we will see MORE of.

With the recent judgement of the Scottish courts, the Scottish Government is one step closer to implementing minimum price for alcoholic beverages based on their alcohol content. As for the beer marketplace, the approximately £1 per 500ml of 4% ABV is not expected to cause massive changes. However, a report on 45p minimum unit price inEngland suggests that almost half of off-trade beer sales in England would be affected. In addition, the consequences of the implementation of this measure are reaching further than one-off price adjustments.

The beer marketplace is changing: not just in terms of number of breweries but also sales channels. For the first time in the UK, there is reportedly less beer sold for consumption on the premises e.g. pubs or restaurants, than in retail outlets without a license e.g. supermarkets or shops. With this increasing emphasis on off-trade, some intrinsic influences on consumer choice will need to be embraced.

The last Beer Means Business post was not the only sensational reaction to the new alcohol guidelines. The title of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) press release also used the word ‘prohibition’. I discussed policy making patterns while CAMRA criticised the quality of science. However, it seems that we both failed to establish the link between ‘prohibition’ and the guidelines, but maybe translating them into other words will do.

The finalisation of the alcohol guidelines is another step towards a future without alcohol. Although the guidelines are non-binding and have limited commercial implications, the closure on this topic enables the advance of alcohol policy making and the campaign for the implementation of new means to reduce alcohol consumption has already started.

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BOOK PRAISES

"An interesting read, not long or heavy-going - beer writing about something other than 'the sexy stuff’.” - Boak and Bailey, authors of Brew Britannia

"With the world success of craft beers, many are now looking at beer as a business. This book gives much information about it, and puts it in perspective. It is most useful." - Edouard Cointreau, President of the Jury, Gourmand World Cookbook Awards

"It is very well written for a business book and has some fascinating insights into the brewing industry." - David Harris, Member of the British Guild of Beer Writers

"[T]his scholarly book analyses the industry with aplomb. A fascinating insight." - Original Gravity%